‘Tis the Season for Sours: Best of Sour Beers 2016

Sour Beers have filled taps and shelves with mass popularity this year. What exactly are these beers, and what are the ones worth trying? Sours rocked 2016.

Sour beer is just as it sounds, it is tart and sour to taste.

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According to PasteMagazine.com, Sours get their trademark tartness and sourness from bacteria and wild yeasts—Lactobacillus, Acetobacter, Brettanomyces, and other critters—that you wouldn’t find in other styles of beer. Each type of bacteria gives its own trademark flavor and aroma: Lactobacillus has a yogurt tang, Acetobacter has the sourness of vinegar, and Brettanomyces has a barnyard, earthy, or farmhouse aroma.

Sours are best in warmer months, but they do stick around all year long. Which ones should you be tasting before the end of 2016?

Made in Wine barrels, Deux Rogues has the overwhelming red wine flavor, but in a good way. This sour is unlike any other, on the tops of many lists, this is one you need to taste for yourself. ABV: 6.2%

If you are into apricots, this beer is made for you. 2.5 pounds of fruit are put into every gallon, so you are literally drinking your fruits. Tartness is a medium to high ratio, and it is not a dry drink. This will keep your lips puckered and happy for quite sometime. ABV: 7%

Chosen partially for the name, this beer gives sours a run for their money. With the complexity of wild yeasts, and a whole lot of cherries, a tart satisfying taste comes from the can. It is only in their Kings Reserve, limited relase, but very worth the search and wait. ABV:6.9%

Three sours to try before years end, but don’t stop there! These fruity tart beers are here to stay. Beer lovers are falling for their taste, as well as complexity.

Until next time beer snobs!

Devon Kenney
Devon Kenney
A Washingtonian born and raised, trying to make my way in Indiana. A nerd from head to toe. In love with craft beer, horror, and Hall and Oates. Graduate from Academy of Art University with a degree in Screenwriting. Find me on Twitter and Instagram @Nightynight34